Simply Starve This Sin
by Miss Atropine
Summary: Sequel to Tales Of Another Beating Heart. Now married and bringing up their baby daughter, follow the lives of Nellie and Sweeney Todd. Sweeney is coming to terms with softening, much to his psyche's dismay. Meanwhile, Nellie is trying to juggle being a mother and a baker at the same time. Rated T for now. I have a feeling the rating will go up soon.
1. A Most Unexpected Eulogy

**Simply Starve This Sin**

 **Chapter 1:** **A Most Unexpected Eulogy**

Was it wrong of Sweeney Todd to think that he rather enjoyed a funeral more than a wedding?

Just the attendees dressed in black, just the silence and brief sniffles or trickles of tears made him feel slightly better inside, for at that moment in time there were other people that felt worse than he ever did, that were breaking down with no shame of how distraught they looked whatsoever. Even people he'd never realised had known the deceased that were bawling their eyes out - anything for attention he supposed, what utter idiots they were.

Despite the fact he'd known Violet, and had liked her, her company in his household was rather brief and he'd hardly understood the girl. The young girl's death (he would never admit to it to Nellie), didn't seem to reach his heart, his feelings of her suicide were none existent, he felt completely empty, and that's why as soon as he'd had to tell his wife of her cousin's passing, it had been rather...

 _...awkward._

Ever since he'd blurted it out to his wife, they'd become more distant than before, the only times they truly enjoyed being together had been when they were with their baby Rue.

Nellie was quietly sniffling, eyes half closed as she looked down to the cold church floor, her head leaning against Sweeney's shoulder for cushioning. It would soon be time to give her eulogy, and the ex-barber knew that she'd be zoned out, he'd have to help her up or wave her into reality in order to get her up those stone stairs to spew grief-filled nonsense, of positive memories of the girl, not even considering the deceased in a bad light. The priest stopped his speech, which caused Sweeney to flicker his eyes to the man, who nodded, prompting him to shake Nellie's shoulder.

She didn't even look up in acknowledgement, merely stood bent over double, her grey-rimmed chocolate eyes were veiled by her lids, anyone looking at her would have thought she was sleepwalking as she made her way to the chiselled steps, boots clacking and eerily echoing around the church.

As soon as she reached her position, the entire place was ridiculously quiet, no coughs or splutters, no sniffles or sighs. Just silence for the dead.

And so, the red-headed woman began to talk utter drivel about how well liked and innocent her cousin had been, her husband soon tuned out as he soon grew tired of the words being formed by her mouth, soon focusing on that feature all too much.

The way she was speaking, the way her lips moved lost him entirely, he closed his ears to her, and merely watched her instead. The pale chapped lips that moved, so much so that he just wanted to kiss her, it had been so long since she had allowed him to do so.

It was like all the life had been stripped from her, he wanted to make her herself again, he didn't care what it would take. If he had to annoy the hell out of her, he would. He knew how stubborn she could be, and it was worsened now that she was in grief. He failed to understand why she chose to curl up away from him, when he had done nothing at all to warrant her closing up to him. Yet he completely understood grief, and why many humans seem to clutch to it. It's like a scar - once it's there, it can always be reopened.

Seeing her lips turned down in an upside down smile made him swallow and softly frown, thin lips in a stern line.

He could see so much of what he used to be in her in that moment, the monotonous tone in her voice as it droned in his ears, the occasional blinking, the even darker rings around her precious eyes...

It wasn't Nellie anymore, just a host that looked like her, the real one was being held hostage in that curly-haired head.

Sweeney suddenly gritted his teeth, wondering how long his wife was going to go on about the deceased girl. It was the only thing she would speak about if she ever did talk to him alone, she even would try to when they were with Rue, to which he would scowl at her, wondering why she insisted on talking of loss and death around a new life that had been brought to the world.

 _'Odd that_ I _had to tell 'er that...'_ he thought to himself, watching in irritation as Nellie brought a handkerchief to her eyes, wiping the tears away.

Months, months he'd had to suffer before the funeral. After this event he hoped that his wife would be able to accept her dear cousin was gone, and get on with her own life.

Or perhaps she wouldn't. She would be a shell of who she was before, forever.

 _'Perhaps she just needs a gentle shove in the right bloody direction then?'_ he said to himself, a touch of a smirk tugging at the side of his mouth.

Oh, there was no harm in that, _surely?_

Nellie suddenly backed from the podium where she'd been speaking, letting out shuddered breaths as she made her way back to the pew where Sweeney was sat, coal eyes boring into her, not that she seemed to be aware of his look of bother.

She plonked herself down next to him, head facing down, the only sound was her jaggered breaths that almost sounded like she was in pain.

The priest continued again, droning about this and that, all of it boring background noise to Sweeney as he turned his head back to face his out-of-touch wife.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd had her attention. Hers was the only attention he actually craved, he wanted to be uknown to anyone else. Why couldn't Nellie see that? Where had the adventurous woman gone? So full of life she had been, so full of ideas, spontanaeity and high spirits.

How he missed her being the complete opposite of him.

It's no fun when you're the same piece of the puzzle, you just don't fit together anymore.

What if he poked her, right then and there? Right _there_ on her left cheek. Would she even react? Or be as stiff and stoic as he would be if she'd done that to him.

If she didn't do anything... What did that mean?

 _'It means y'got to try pushing her buttons harder,'_ he told himself, letting his eyes fall down to the look at the floor, mirroring Nellie completely. _'If there's a chance that there's still fiery Nell in there, we might as well try an' help 'er scratch 'er way out.'_

A netted veil hung across her face to shield her eyes, eyes he would give anything to see look into his own just once more, those lively brown eyes, not the glazed over empty ones.

Before he realised what he was doing, Sweeney followed his thoughts and snatched his right arm up, holding out his pointing finger as he firmly poked the side of Nellie's cold pallid left cheek.

She didn't react.

He was infuriated with her! How selfish of her, cooping herself in her own grief when she had a family around her to keep her life going! He couldn't take it anymore, he was sick of her not being...

 _...her._

With a hint of a smirk, he noisily, disrespectfully stood up, causing everyone to whisper incessantly. The priest at the podium pauses, frowning at the crazy-haired man, who was now playing the grieving relative, as he mimicked the way Nellie looked down at her feet in depression.

 _'This'll bring out the old Nell, it 'as to!'_ he thought, raising his head slightly to look up towards the surprised priest.

"I 'ope y'don't mind Father," Sweeney announces lowly, even adding a quivering effect just to make it that more convincing, he even seemed to have the priest fooled. "After hearin' such beautiful words from my wife, I just 'ave to say somethin' too."

In his peripheral vision, he swore he saw Nellie jerk her head up and the back down, as if she wasn't interested.

So she _was_ there was she? Well, something unexpectedly distressing may just draw the real Nell back out.

"Of course not," The priest replies, giving the pale man a sad smile. "Please, if you feel you have words to share with us, come up here."

Sweeney nodded, sniffing once as he pushes past Nellie and the rest of the people on his pew, hearing the whispers again as he felt everyone's eyes on him as he walked up the narrow aisle to the front of the church.

Stepping up onto the stone podium he licked his dry lips.

Was it normal to feel comfortable with all the bleak, miserable faces that gawked at him? He wasn't even sure what normal even was anymore.

"Violet Trémaine," he begins, sighing as he rests his palms flat on the pulpit. "Didn't really know the girl."

The atmosphere in the room was uneasy, and he moved his eyes to rest on the only person in the room he truly cared about:

Nellie Todd.

"I'm not sorry that she ain't here anymore. Because right now, she's ruining my life, even though she's no longer with us, how bloody selfish is that?" he stated rather matter-of-factly.

The room gasped in unison, viscious whisperers having a field day.

"When I'm gone, _I'm gone_ , that's the end of that. No one dead should surely bother living so much, should they?"

The priest looked at Sweeney in horror, gaping at how casually he was saying this, despite being in front of the deceased girl's family and friends. People began saying that the fool at the front should be thrown out for such comments, yet somehow they allowed him to carry on.

"This day should be a relief, an end to things. An acceptance. If I come out 'o this church with my wife looking as miserable as me I don't know what the 'ell I'll do with my life." he admits honestly, looking straight at Nellie, who had lifted her stubborn eyes at him, yet did not stare into directly into his eyes. " _She's_ meant to be the cheerful one. Not me."

"Get that fool off of that stage this instant!" someone from the back shouted, to which Sweeney smirked.

" _Me?_ A fool? Sir, take a look at yourself. The only time you appear to 'ave cared about this girl is when she's dead and buried. I don't 'ave a clue who you are, but you're clearly not as prim and proper as you clearly thought y'were when you opened y'mouth."

All the children in the room giggled, maybe even some of the adults too as a frenzied noise erupted from the chattering crowd.

"I am sick of seeing such tradition as this, not because I am disrespectful," he carries on honestly, not fully realising why he's even there anymore. "But because of the way it has been tainted, into mere lies and deceit. This funeral is nothin' more than a sham, at best."

Sweeney walked from his position at the front, making his way down to where he'd been sat to retrieve his trench coat. He couldn't stand being in the place any longer.

As more gasps and chatters emerged, he noticed movement from Nellie, she now stood up, looking down as she crossed one hand over the other.

"... 'e's right." she answered clearly, in a loudly confident manner, causing Sweeney to frown at her words. He paused in his tracks, watching as she folded his coat over her arm, pushing through the people who attempted to block her from reaching him.

 _"Nell..."_ he started, but she hushed him, grabbing his arm and leading him down the aisle to the doors so the two of them could escape the place... _the irony._

She managed to pull open one of the heavy-hinged wooden doors even though she had such a tiny frame, yanking him outside with her, the brightness of the outside world causing Sweeney to shield his eyes.

The door slammed behind them and she threw off her veil, disgarding it beneath her feet.

Taking his hand from his eyes to see her, he managed to take a glimpse of her just as she'd shot forward, parting her lips before forcefully pushing them to his, hands clawing around his neck as she pulled him down so she could reach better. He squeezed his eyes shut and returned gladly, intrigued by her actions but had an inkling that his plan had probably worked.

She moaned and shoved him backwards so he hit the door loudly, knowing for sure that the guests on the other side would have heard it. They attacked each others mouths, as if they hadn't felt one another in such a way for such a long time...

Which was true, it had in fact been _months._

They'd been starved of each other for so long, their want and need for one another was unleashed in that moment, his arms pulling her tight to him as they moved with one another, totally disobeying the fact they were on holy grounds of the church.

Nellie was the one to pull away from him, teeth biting her bottom lip as she looked up at him through her thick black lashes. His eyes opened, and for the first time in months, his eyes faltered as he looked at her.

 _There she was._

He knew she had been there.

She gave him that mischievious smile and then giggled at his mix of happiness and total confusion. "You are the most 'onest man I 'ave ever met," she chuckled out, laughing hysterically at his look of pure astonishment.

"Well," he replied, quickly replacing his emotion with a trademark Todd scowl. "I just leave all the lyin' to you, seeing as you're so good at it, pet."

She dropped her smile and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry I've been so distant love," she whispered, looking up into his eyes in that way where he couldn't ever look away. "I guess the grief 'ad me carried away silly. So much so, that I couldn't even tell what I wanted anymore..."

He was silent.

"I jus' want to go back 'ome, 'ave a nice cup of tea with ya and jus' get on with me life." she sighed, resting her head on him, just below his collarbone under his head.

Even though he'd been surprised at the fact he'd annoyed her out of her cage, and how quickly that she'd come to her senses, he nuzzled his nose in the red curls that were on the top of her head, smiling, "I think y'd better make that cup 'o tea, gin instead."

She gasped, tearing away from him with an amused shock, smacking her hand on his chest.

"Rotten bugger!" she whispered, due to the fact a laugh was trying to escape her throat.

They linked arms, slowly strolling through the graveyard to exit the church grounds.

"I rather like funerals," Sweeney admitted, wondering why he was so keen on telling everyone how he felt all of a sudden. Perhaps it was the lack of attention from his wife.

 _"Oh_ you _would!"_ Nellie exclaimed, those longing eyes filled with adoration were there again, so full of mischief and life.

He smirked, "Still doesn't beat our wedding day though. That was certainly something to grieve about - "

 _"Oi!"_

She gave his ribs a good shove and he nearly fell into an open grave. He narrowed his eyes at the challenge and he darted towards her, to which she started giggling and running as fast as she could over the uneven ground, trying to avoid the mounds of earth that had bodies beneath.

He was tailing her, smirking as she continued running and laughing like a child.

He'd missed this.

He'd missed them being what they were meant to have always been.

Together, yet ...

 _free._

* * *

 **A/N Thank you for reading! It feels like I've never been away and I'm so excited to continue on to this sequel. There won't be as many notes from me unfortunately as my style has changed entirely (basically I've grown up xD) and I know you all just want more story than A/Ns since story is why you're here. Reviews would be great, but I don't mind silence, I want to see if I've lost touch with writing Sweenett or not... so I'm happy to have you along with me for the ride (if you enjoyed of course). More story to come, I promise. You won't hear from me much more, so please, do enjoy this story, let me know if you enjoyed, whether it be through a follow, favourite, PM or review, or silence. :)**


	2. A Secret

**Simply Starve This Sin**

 **Chapter 2** **: A Secret**

As the dark couple soon returned to their home, they were smirking to one another as they linked arms. They couldn't wait to see their young daughter, even though by now the little one ought to be sleeping soundly.

Nellie was first to enter their abode, shaking her head at her husband, whispering, "We're gonna be the talk 'o the town now 'cause of you!"

Sweeney flashed a smirk and pushed her with his callous hands, so she went further inside the front door.

"Now, now, pet," he breathed back, those black vacuum-like eyes eating into her own. "See it as free advertisin'. With a rumour of me as a funeral-wrecker goin' round we'll surely 'ave more business for the patisserie..."

She scoffed out a laugh, gawping at him in disbelief, "And that means ya ruin my cousin's funeral? Just f'some measly customers? And it ain't no rumour, is it?"

He raised his brows, shrugging at her.

"Well, you be angry 'bout it. You won't be once the gossipers hand over their life savings just to see if the hearsay is true." he replied, hands rolled up into balls as she turned away from him, standing at the foot of the staircase as she peered up at the landing.

A look of concern struck over her features and he knew what she was thinking.

Where was the babysitter?

They'd had a trusted neighbour that had been willing to help out, and she had seemed honest enough, especially as she was being paid for it. They'd told her to meet them by the front door as soon as they got back - maybe she just hadn't heard them? Yet the couple were already overly paranoid about their safety of their daughter, as they had received so many near misses with the authorities over the months, as they had almost found out about the Todds and their previous...

 _... family business_ , shall we say.

That, mixed with the grief that Nellie had let take her over, had made life hard on the two of them, even the slightest risk had panicked them.

The two of them wanted to be the cleanest of clean now they had a child in the world, but the two of them found that they almost _missed_ living in sin, it had made the couple seem so alive and _thriving..._

Sweeney stood behind his wife, leaning on the banister as he mirrored her actions. The two of them waited silently, knowing the sitter must have heard the door's movements as they'd walked in, so where was she? As Nellie was beginning to start up the staircase, the dark couple heard little baby coos, to which they let both let out a deep breath, air that they hadn't even realised that they had both been holding in.

"Rue darlin'," Nellie whispered, a small smile on her lips, despite her head going into a confused overdrive as to why her child wasn't asleep yet. "Is that you?"

A little "bu-bu-bu-ba" came in reply to Nellie to which the two parents couldn't help smiling in spite of their confusion.

They suddenly heard frantic thumping sounds as their daughter crawled towards her mother's voice and began to giggle, now in plain sight to her parents. She perched on the top of the landing, too close to the edge for either of her parents' liking. Nellie gasped, being pushed out of the way as Sweeney darted up the stairs, scooping her up from the floor, to which his little girl giggled, sucking her thumb. He held her to his left, her little head of growing burgundy curls laid against his chest as she looked up at him so innocently with those same unbelievably black eyes. He then kissed her forehead, holding his other arms around her tiny frame protectively.

His wife had a hand on her heart, calming herself from her anxiety, feeling a wave of happiness rush over her as she looked upon the scene of her family.

Sweeney looked over at her with wide eyes, "What's she doin' here?" he asked, and she wasn't entirely sure why since she couldn't exactly give her husband the answer either.

"I don' know, but that'll be last time I'm relying on a neighbour to look after 'er, it was bad enough the first time I left 'ere without her, I don't wanna be worryin' about her not bein' looked after properly..." she replied, slowly making her way to where her husband stood on the landing (the heaviness of her mourning dress was ridiculous, Sweeney knew this and took an arm away from his daughter to aid his wife up the stairs).

"Pet, you go an' lie down, I'll sort this out," he said calmly (yet Nellie sensed the dark undertone), pulling her up so she was standing across from him. She sighed heavily, feeling like she'd just done a workout after climbing the stairs so she felt there was no point in disagreeing at this point, "Alright love."

Rue made an uncomfortable grunt, from this noise the two of them could tell she was tired.

Her mother chuckled, and she also managed to earn a smile from her father (or was it something else that was pleasing him?). "G'night little 'un." Nellie croaked, closing her eyes as she bent down and nuzzled her nose against Rue's, kissing her forehead just like Sweeney had. "No bedtime antics, alright? Y'Dad's had a tirin' day too, ruinin' _funerals."_

Sweeney choked back a laugh at her dig, watching as she waved at their daughter (whom he held in both arms now) and blew her a kiss, strolling down the hall to their bedroom for her well earned rest. The poor woman had just found her true self again after her husband had crashed her cousin's funeral (something she was secretly _thankful_ for), so it was only right that she deserved her beauty sleep. His eyes turned away from his wife to set on Rue, who peered up at him in curiosity with her big black eyes, still sucking her thumb. The mix of the dark couple's genes was imminent, he loved seeing the two of them in his daughter, it was something he would never have to admit because he didn't need to, anyone could see it in his eyes as he looked at her. "Come on you," he whispered, carrying her in the direction his wife was going, so lost in his little girl that he failed to notice Nellie poking her head out and mouthing _'Don't bloody kill anyone!'_ before quietly shutting their door.

"So the sitter went an' left you did she?" he spoke, turning in the opposite direction of his daughter's closed door, this was in order to reach a hand down and turn the knob, he began to back into it. "What did she go and do that for? Weren't playin' silly buggers again were you?" Rue continued to stare into his eyes, the innocence sparkling in them as she stopped sucking her thumb. He narrowed his eyes in mock interrogation, letting out a "Hmm.". His daughter mimicked his serious expression, making him smirk - nothing like a Todd displaying their annoyance. The kid was promising.

Her room was pitch black, as the curtains had also been drawn, something the sitter must have done. Only seeing vague outlines, Sweeney held in a curse (sparing his young daughter's ears, how thoughtful) and lightly dropped his daughter next to his feet. "Don't move, pet." he breathed, fumbling with the cabinet next to him, attempting to find the matches. He really ought to keep them on his person, he really was getting careless.

Eventually he found them, striking the match before his eyes, his ghost-like skin was illuminated with a golden glow. Lighting his way around Rue's room (which had previously belonged to Toby, then Violet), he managed to find all the candles, finally now able to see his surroundings clearly.

As he blew out the match, Rue began getting boisterous due to her tiredness, so he lifted her up gently, ignoring her tugging at the collar of his shirt. He laid her down caringly in her cot, hushing her when she gave out little whimpers. "Shh," he said, placing a finger to his lips. "Bedtime now. Close your eyes." He closed his eyes, placing his hands together as he leaned his head towards them in a sleeping action. She seemed to quieten and he opened his eyes, watching similar ones staring up at him, narrowing with tiredness as she let out a little yawn.

He smiled, bringing a hand down to brush his thumb and fore-finger lightly up and down against her smooth cheek, her eyes closing due to his actions.

The man stayed quiet, continuing his cheek-stroking for a while before her breathing seemed to steady and she stopped trying to open her eyes to study him. Without a word, he moved his hand reluctantly from her, gazing down at the little girl completely flat-out asleep. "Just like Nell," he murmured, a touch of a smirk reaching his lips. "Always bloody stubborn when it comes to stayin' awake, but she ends up falling asleep in the end..."

After sometime of watching his daughter, he tore his eyes from her studying her room. No sign of anyone being in there since they'd left... other than the curtains...

He decided he'd leave the candles to burn out overnight, in case either of them were awakened by their daughter during the night. Taking one last look at his daughter he managed a small smile, quietly tip-toeing towards the door. He pulled it slightly, frowning when he noticed he could hear a muffled moan from something - it wasn't his daughter, or he would have recognised it and flinched back to her instantaneously. It came again and he pulled the door shut subtly, eyes widening when they were met with the baby-sitter, tied up in - what _were_ those? _Bandages?_ He could see little red hand prints on her face, clearly only small, baby hands could be the culprit behind the marks. His mouth opened slightly, in shock and awe at the snoring sitter.

He hadn't expected this (who would). Had his little girl done this?

Part of him denied it, and didn't want to believe his 9-month-old child could possibly torment, and kidnap a grown adult in such a way...

Then there was a part of him that loved it. His own little monster, why keep her so innocent anyway? Being innocent was completely pointless, it hadn't done anything for Benjamin, so he wasn't about to push that message across to his daughter.

What would Nellie think? Should he tell her?

 _'No.'_ he thought, his hands frantically gripping strands of wiry black hair. _'I can't possibly tell 'er about this. It's irrational, and after the stunt I pulled at that funeral, no way would she believe me anyway. In the mornin' I'll just move the woman, and Nell won't even know she were 'ere. She'll blame the sitter, the sitter won't come back and she'll never know about our daughter taking a hostage... If it_ were _in fact Rue...'_

He wasn't ready for the stress of waiting until morning, he needed to move this woman, _now._ Quietly cursing, he roughly placed his hands around the woman's waist, causing the woman to flick open her eyes, and she began struggling to his dismay. He casually rolled his eyes, throwing her over his shoulder with ease, making as little noise as possible as he opened the door into the hallway.

The muffled yells of the woman as she punched his back amused him, he itched to murder her, and he wasn't quite sure why, it all seemed rather sudden to him, and he wasn't planning on killing her at all. It just happened to be such an idealistic murder opportunity, he surely couldn't pass up on it? It had been so long since he'd last held his trusty razors, and swiped across someone's throat to feel the blood slowly rippling down onto his knuckles.

 _'You 'ave a child, that's why there's no need to.'_ a voice came from inside him. _'If you miss those razors so much why not just go back to bein' a barber?'_

Sweeney frowned, now at the landing with the struggling woman, totally in his own thoughts unlike the strong female over his shoulder who was trying to break free with all her might, thrashing her limbs and crying out through the muffled bandages wrapped tightly around the majority of her body. At capturing and securing a 'victim', Sweeney was still admiringly effortless.

"I can't just go back to that now," he whispered back to his internal voice. "The throats would just seem... too inviting. I need something else to soothe my itch..."

With that discovery, he quietly made his way down the stairs, stifling a laugh as he unintentionally smacked the mummified sitter's head against the ceiling each time he reached a new step. He was praying every time that it would knock her out so he wouldn't have to put up with her incessant struggles, alas God did not answer his prayer.

Now he was downstairs, his two girls upstairs would not be able to hear him if they were sound asleep so he finally growled, "Oh will you shut up woman? I'm not gonna kill you, alright?" The woman's cries seemed to grow louder at this, was she really that stupid? He'd told her what she'd wanted to hear hadn't he?

A game was in order.

"Or I _could_ kill you..." he whispered icily, her struggles seemed to cease as he said this, perhaps she was frozen in fear. "There's nothin' stopping me. How about, you don't ever mention this night, or what's 'appened to another livin' soul, and I'll let you live?"

A muffled noise of approval greeted his ears, to which a menacing smirk spread over his features.

He had to keep this night _secret._

He wouldn't kill the woman, but he needed assurance that she wasn't going to be a tell-tale on him.

And he'd have to make it quick, or Nellie would suspect something.

He suddenly realised how much trouble children truly were.

Or perhaps he'd just noticed how much of himself was truly in the genes of his little daughter...

* * *

 **A/N I know it's 2 days early, but hope you enjoyed. There may be another chapter uploaded as normal on Wednesday, if I can proof read quick enough xD Thanks to everyone who reviewed :)**


	3. Rise and Shine

**Simply Starve This Sin**

 **Chapter 3: Rise and Shine**

The next morning, Nellie awoke nonchalantly, stretching her arms up as she let out a rather over dramatic yawn and rolled onto her side, hoping that Sweeney was there lying next to her as he always was, usually already awake with his nose tucked into a good book. Reading was something that had become a part of his morning ritual - nothing like a bit of _Poe_ to remind him of _death_ in the morning - but if he had to be blatantly honest, it was only an excuse so he didn't have to admit that he liked glancing over at his sleeping wife. He also read the newspaper too (which was also filled with wondrous tales of _death_ ) at breakfast, as he found it pointless trying to converse during the morning - especially when his wife had been so stubborn with grief. Yet on this particular morning, it seemed like he was further away from her than he normally was, as she reached back to feel for him, but there was nothing but air...

In shock, her weariness seemed to disappear (unlike her case of red-head bed-head, which was surprisingly rather stylish on her), and her brown eyes widened as she flung herself erratically over to face the other side of the bed, the entirety of the mattress threatening to fall through as it bounced at her actions. The man _was there_ all right. She watched him for a few minutes, utterly confused as he was sound asleep, snoring away heavily and letting out unintelligible murmurs. He was laid in a rather awkward position, the side of his head lolled against the iron bedpost with just the one pillow behind his head, as his body was bent like he was sat on a chair, only one side of his body was pressed against the mattress beneath him. _' 'Ow on_ earth _can that man be bloody comfortable?'_ Nellie thought to herself, finding herself trying not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked, reminding herself that the sleeping man in front of her was also a successful serial murderer. That only made her giggles harder to swallow. Now and again he'd murmur something utterly strange, or even let out a twisted chuckle to which she shivered slightly. This was because it had been some time since she'd been her true self of course. As a consequence, the two of them hadn't exactly been social let alone _intimate_ with one another, so naturally she found certain qualities about her husband unnerving, perhaps qualities she had become so accustomed to before her cousin's death.

She continued to watch him, unsure of whether to wake him. _'Naa,'_ she thought, curling a lock of her messy hair around her finger. _'Oh, I couldn't possibly do that could I? Then again 'e's usually awake by now,_ the bugger _... what time did 'e get here? I don't remember him even comin' t'bed...'_

Nellie sighed, sitting up as she plumped the reddish pillows behind her. She still observed him sleeping, biting her lip to stop her chuckling again when she looked at his hair - it was the usual style, black with that bright white streak, only this time the untamable locks had grown into lengthy chaotic strands that strayed down at the sides of his face in a grungy manner - it truly was ridiculous. It was getting far too long for her liking, how hadn't she noticed how long it had gotten before? Well, she hadn't noticed him properly for quite some time. It was understandable.

Unfortunately his hair was _incredibly_ hard not to giggle at.

She scoffed, holding a hand over her mouth.

 _'Don't laugh Nell!'_ she told herself, only making herself even more amused.

She opened her mouth, wheezing in a gasp of much needed air, but found that she couldn't contain her laughter anymore. She gritted her teeth together but found a high-pitched cackle roar out of her lungs, pushing up through her throat and out through her mouth. Tears of amusement trickled from her eyes, her hands gripping the sides of her barely covered stomach. She couldn't stop, even when she saw the man finally stirring for his deep slumber next to her, muttering something like _"bloody woman..."_ before he groaned exhaustedly, only able to crack open his eyes a fraction.

"Mr T! Wot _do_ you look like!" she stated rather than questioned, only just able to stop for a moment to catch a breath before giggling incessantly again. Sweeney made a low growl, as if he was warning her to shut up - but then a yawn came out, which _naturally_...

 _...isn't_ that intimidating.

She was only pushed on further, practically rolling to-and-fro under what little bedcovers covered her, hands gripping to her sides as more trails of tears sprang from her eyes. And to think that she had once thought it was _Sweeney_ that had lost his marbles... yet here _she_ was, literally laughing her arse off at a mass murderer who had funny hair. Not mentioning of course, that she'd gone and married him too. He squinted at her, dark rings around his eyes more prominent compared to his usual shadowed lids, his body's bones and muscles were tense and pulling. He'd gotten to bed in the early hours, and much to his dismay, his wife had woken him after only three or four hours of sleep...

Things did not bode well for her.

 _"O-Oh!"_ she laughed out, coughing and spluttering when he sat up slightly next to her, his hair sticking up at the back like the tail of a duck. "S-Sweeney! I'm ever so sorry f'wakin' ya!"

He wore a bothered look, eyes still squinted as his under-lids felt swollen from tiredness. His eyebrows knitted together in a scowl. He was silent, and didn't even look her way, her giggling had subsided but the odd chuckle still crept its way out of her lips. "You're worse than our child." he muttered in monotone, sitting up stiffly with his arms by his sides, still unable to see the entire room because of his damned eyes. She bit her lip, shooting him an apologetic look, yet her eyes still had amusement dancing in them. "I'm sorry, love. Y'just always readin' when I wake up. I didn't expect ya lyin' there catchin' some sleep and talkin' 'bout my brea - " He found his eyes widening, and clapped a hand over her mouth. Considering they hadn't been intimate in a while, he didn't want her knowing just how much he'd missed her... (like she didn't already know). _"Don't_ Nell," he whispered viciously, feeling fully awake now. "Just _don't."_

Just as Nellie was about to answer him, Rue's cries sounded out, to which Sweeney was thankful for once (despite the fact the high pitch noise pricked his ears). She gasped in a strange excitement and tore away from him, jumping out of the bed so fast that she could have probably entered the Olympics for doing such a thing. Before leaving the room completely, she paused at the door, shooting him a suggestive glance before a last low giggle escaped her. Sweeney rolled his eyes as she padded to their daughter's room, rubbing his eyes with fatigue.

Last night had been a blur for him, and he wasn't exactly sure entirely what he'd gotten himself into. He hadn't killed the woman, even though he had really wanted to at that point. Yet as he'd vowed to his wife, and his daughter, he had promised to not kill another person, unless _"it was absolutely bloody necessary"_ as his wife had said. So instead, Mr Todd had struck up a deal with the woman, a deal that at first he hadn't liked one bit, due to what the woman expected from him in order for her to keep quiet. But he had made it quite clear, he was willing to do anything - even if it meant harming another person - to ensure the rest of his family was happy (and to keep Nellie from knowing about their little developing demon's antics).

That morning his head was buzzing with conflicted thoughts of regret and relief - considering what the woman from the night before had asked of him. His terms weren't actually that bad. His agreement wasn't about money, or sex, or anything that selfish for that matter. Strangely, the only perk of the deal was that it was extremely violent. So at least the man could release his murderous tendencies somehow, much to his own relief.

He still could not tell his wife. No matter what, he had to keep it secret. If she found out - well, he wasn't exactly sure how she'd react. On one hand, she'd be heartbroken as he'd promised he wouldn't harm another soul, yet on the other, he'd be a lot less tense around her, seeing as he'd been fairly harsh in general as of late.

As his thoughts continued to sting him from all directions, his eyes began to droop again, and he slipped back into sleep whilst Nellie's humming served as his ambient soundtrack to slumber.

Sweeney, having his guard-down due to his exhaustion, failed to pick up on the little tiny thumps of shuffling coming in through the open door. He shifted slightly under the covers in order to get more comfortable, sinking down to lie on his back. The rustling of the same covers went unnoticed as a small weight was added to the bed, the little lump slowly crawling up the blankets that covered Sweeney's half-naked form. Tiny gasps came from the little girl as she nestled herself on top of her father's torso, curling her miniature fingers as she let out a yawn. Nellie's concerned gasp could be heard from the little girl in question's room, and she rushed back to her husband, worried expression falling into one of silent contentment. Rue laid on her father's chest, clad in cotton-white baby grow, rising and falling as her father breathed in and out. Nellie knew this was a scene she wasn't likely to ever forget, seeing the two most precious things to her in such safety, truly was something she found remarkably _beautiful._

For once, Nellie Todd stayed quiet. The sight was almost _ethereal_ in a way - before the marriage between her and the ex-barber had even occurred, she would often daydream about how a child with him would look, or would even contemplate on scenarios such as the one she was looking at now... But the dreams did not even come close to the beauty she looked upon at that moment. As she watched them sleep, her brow furrowed and her eyes softened, full pale lips curved into a small smile.

The baby seemed to fidget slightly over his chest, which finally caught Sweeney's attention. He groaned lowly, and stirred, cracking open his eyes. He tipped his chin into his chest, looking down at the baby girl hugging to him, who was letting out little coos and gurgles. If that wasn't enough to melt the man's cold heart, nothing could. Not questioning how she'd managed to get there, he smiled gladly, leaning upwards to give his daughter a warm kiss on her forehead. Nellie's eyes faltered at the sight, her heart pounding fiercely at seeing his care for their daughter. He let out a deep sigh, stroking his hand up and down the warm curved spine of his baby that was clinging to him. He looked in the direction of the door, eyelids hanging heavily over his eyes, yet Nellie wasn't totally sure that was due to his lack of sleep. She gave him a smile back as she looked straight at him, biting her bottom lip to stop her from saying anything to disturb the peaceful moment. He managed to give his wife a wink as he took his other hand up to motion for her to come closer.

Nellie obliged, tiptoeing over to them, holding a hand over her mouth to stop her from squealing with utter joy. She knelt down next to the bed, so that she could be face level with Sweeney. He turned his head to face her, still lightly caressing the back of his daughter. "Fast asleep," he whispered, eyelids drooping down as his wife neared his face, their noses nuzzling. She was reluctant to kiss him, but found him leaning towards her and she completed the rest of the distance, their lips brushing over each others before they closed their eyes and gently pressed into each other. Sweeney took his free hand up to push the back of Nellie's head towards him, deepening their kiss. He'd missed this from her. Nellie was the one to break away, sucking in much needed air. Sweeney smirked at her, bloodshot black eyes suddenly losing their tiredness.

Sensing movement from her parents, Rue wriggled and let out a little yawn, amazingly just as bright-eyed as her father now was. Her mother let out a chuckle, watching the girl frown up at her father in wonder. He followed Nellie's gaze, setting his eyes on his curious daughter. " 'Ello there..." he breathed out, eyebrows lifting so a much more expressive emotion was displayed to the child. "What do _you_ want then, hm?" Her little thumb went to her mouth as she looked back over to her mother, who was stroking the red curls on the little girl's head in awe of how much the hair was like her own. "Looks like ya take after y'father lttle 'un," Nellie whispered, lightly twirling a longer lock of her daughter's hair. " 'E's not a mornin' person today either..." Sweeney shot her an unimpressed glare, to which she smirked. The little girl caught sight of his look of annoyance and stopped sucking her thumb sweetly, and instead rose the same tiny hand up, hitting his cheek with a great _thwack_ , instantly leaving a throbbing red mark. Nellie burst out laughing, her aching stomach truly in for another workout. Sweeney gaped in horror at his daughter, then back to his wife. Clearly the girl hadn't liked that particular expression from her father because she now wore a little smile as she watched her mother laugh joyously. _'Happiness and hilarity at my expense... well, s'pose there's nothin' new there...'_ he thought, managing a grin when he realised it _was_ rather funny, despite the unfortunate stinging pain on his left cheek. Only his own daughter could get away with such a ludicrous thing unscathed.

Well, if he wasn't before...

Sweeney Todd was well and truly awake now.

* * *

 **A/N Thank you for reading this far, I'm so sorry for not posting last week. I was aiming to post another this week, and I'll still try to do that, but with a convention coming up I don't have loads of time. The ideas are there, they just need typing up. Let me know if you enjoyed, I know this was a rather softer chapter. I assure you, there is most certainly _more_ to come! Thanks again :)**


	4. Thin Ice

**Simply Starve This Sin**

 **Chapter 4: Thin Ice**

If one was to visit the Todds' patisserie, one would have high expectations.

Nellie's cakes and pastries were indeed top quality, and apparently, so was the service. Unfortunately, as word got round how good it was, the busier the place became. Even with her husband working just as hard as her, it was still not enough to meet the demand heading through their doors. Part of her wished Violet was still there, she had been such a great help to her. Strangely, despite the popularity of the establishment, it didn't seem that the Todds were actually making a great deal of profit, and the family was slowly suffering due to it.

As soon as the Todds got to work on the day after Violet's funeral, they could sense that it was going to be busy, and it wasn't just because of Sweeney's "free advertising" incident at said funeral.

From the moment Sweeney flipped the sign on the front door to open that morning, groups of people flocked in, to which he stood holding open the door in tiredness, stoic expression on his face. Already he could tell this was _not_ going to be his day...

After the first rush, there was only a handful of tables left to order, meaning the waiter could finally have a bit of a breather. Sweeney approached the nearest table. It was an elderly couple, but due to the finish on the man's tailored suit, it was obvious that they were higher class. _'Great... just what I need.'_ the murder-minded man thought, sniffing loudly as he purposely dropped his pencil and paper loudly onto the floor.

The reason he was acting like a dick seemed like a sudden change in demeanour, when in fact, Nellie was almost certain it had been her fault when she'd lectured about him bottling things up during her time of grief. Or perhaps he'd just felt that he could be more irresponsible in a new way, seeing as he'd vowed not to murder anyone? Either way, he loved being a total prick to people, even if it drove customers away.

"My wife and I would like to have the afternoon tea." the man spoke in an authorative tone, glaring at Sweeney through his little rounded spectacles. "And a glass of your finest whisky to go with it."

Sweeney leaned onto his elbow, which was now perched on the couple's table, his eyes were shut and his breathing had gone shallow. _"I say!"_ the woman now whispered towards him, grimacing as she used a gloved pinky finger to prod his shoulder. _"What on_ Earth _are you doing?"_

He jump started the couple as he let out a loud, incoherent _"Hmm?"_ and stood immediately to attention with narrowed eyes, studying the couple. It looked like they expected him to speak - he didn't, he knew they expected an apology, it was indeed well into the afternoon and he'd been rudely awoken that morning so they could _'bloody well sit there and wait for their measly 'sorry' all day if they want to'._

"Ahm, the afternoon tea. And the whisky if you please, old boy." the balding man with a grey moustache repeated in monotone.

Sweeney scoffed and placed on his persuasive grin, _"Whisky,_ sir? Like we have _those_ sorts of _beverages_ here. You really ought to look around you - no one else seems to be drinkin' that 'ere, do they? I'll bring you your damned afternoon tea, but don't think you can call me your 'old _boy_ '. I'd rather you were blatantly honest, I know that I'm a mere _peasant_ to you and nothing more."

The couple gawped at him in horror as he swivelled to stride towards the counter and left them both to then face one another. _"I say,_ Harold," the wife whispered with wide eyes. "I think those rumours about this establishment are more than vicious gossip."

Sweeney pushed the handle-less door to enter the kitchen area in the back, a place that was ridiculously hot due to the stoves and ovens being on the majority of the day. Having said that, Sweeney preferred it in there, seeing as the only thing he could hear was his wife humming and working, opposed to the obnoxious chatter of the public in the eating area behind him. At the time of him entering, Nellie was busy at work, opening the main oven to take out a hot tray with a variety of fruit buns placed on it. She huffed and turned, placing it onto a large table next to trays of other fresh confectioneries she had made.

" 'nother order, ain't it love?" she huffed out, looking tiredly over to her husband, who nodded in reply. "'S 'ard work this, and we ain't even gettin' as much money as we used to!"

"I know," he responded, setting his eyes on hers with a sad expression. "Crime really did pay, didn't it pet?"

She smiled whilst he wandered over to her, expecting him to give her another order to meet, instead he kissed her which caught her off-guard. Her tired eyes fluttered shut and she smiled into the kiss. It had seemed too short when he pulled away, linking his arms around her waist. They still hadn't had much intimacy together, especially with the exhaustion that would hit them as soon as they both got home.

" 'Ave you ever wondered what it'd be like if we went back to our old lives?" he said in a small sincere voice, resting his chin on the top of her head. She frowned at the fact he'd asked a question, then smirked, not that he could see, " 'O course I 'ave Sweens. Part of me don't even miss it, but I do regret the wealthy repercussions 'o course." Clearly she was referring to their cunning makeshift-slaughterhouse.

He grinned in silent agreement.

"Anyway, I better get on wi' me work, an' so 'ad you Mr T!" she exclaimed in her cheery tone, pulling away from his embrace with a wink. "At this rate I'll be in 'ere 'til closin' time!"

His eyes widened, as her words suddenly made him remember something, and he began to shift, "A-Actually Nell, I have to leave earlier tonight. 'M sorry, should've told y'earlier." She frowned at him, her accusing chocolate eyes studying his suspicious expression. _"Ay?_ To go _where?_ I can't run this bloody place on me lonesome, _can I?"_ she told him, floury hands pressing against her hips. "And what about Rue? She's in the back and I can't well serve out there, control everythin' in 'ere _and_ peek in on 'er every now and then - "

"Then we'll close early." he interrupted, advancing towards her to take hold of her hands in his. "It'll die off 'ere soon, I'm sure of it."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Oh _really?_ We're already strugglin' money-wise an' your tellin' me that we can shut up shop so you can do some mysterious activity ya 'aven't even told me about?!" He sighed in annoyance, taking his hands away from her. He wished he could tell her, he really did, but how could he? As soon as he'd mention what it was, she would immediately disapprove.

Nellie sighed, taking a hand away from her sides to wipe away the sweat from her brow, "Look, I don't know wha's gotten inta you lately Sweens, but I don't know 'ow you expect me t'just let you go off somewhere y'ain't even told me about."

"It's just this club, Nell, is all." he said in monotone, turning to go back through the door behind him, clearly trying to escape the situation he'd got himself into. "I didn't want to say anythin' in case - "

 _"Club?!_ What kinda _club?!"_ she cut him off, slamming something dense onto the worktop that was now behind him, yet he decided on leaving what exactly made the noise a mystery as it would mean he would have to turn around to look at Nellie. "It's nothin'," he replied, his lips in a stern line as he frowned and stared at the floor. "I'll be leavin' a bit earlier t'night. And I suggest you do too, pet."

And with that, he mysteriously exited in silence.

And left without seeing the shade of red Nellie had turned, her fists were balled in anger as she glared at the door he'd just departed through.

Suddenly that same door opened a fraction...

"Oh," Sweeney's voice came, slightly smaller than usual. "And the order's _afternoon tea,_ and a glass of _whisky_ if we 'ave any."

Sweeney Todd was a man that was treading on thin ice.

And it wouldn't be long until that oh so delicate sheet of ice, slowly melted away until it nonchalantly ...

 _...cracked._

* * *

 **A/N Now that I have more of the story noted down and mapped out, this will mean more chapters and therefore more updates. Thank you for staying with this story this far, I know I've had a huge break, but there'll be more to come :) Apologies for the shortness of this chapter.**


	5. Selfish Man

**Simply Starve This Sin**

 **Chapter 5: Selfish Man**

That same night, the air had swirled into something bitter, seeing as autumn had now rolled in. Frost was beginning to form over the moist ground, as the bluish-grey clouds swept over the moon, casting subtle shadows over the town. The lifeless grey of night quickly reminded Sweeney of London as he sneaked out of the bakery, leaving a few latecomers to finish their meals inside alone, and abandoning his wife and child.

He hadn't even brought a coat to work that morning, and was now regretting it as he hugged his arms around himself, trudging over the gravel and down the main street. He kept his head down to avoid looking at anyone he walked by and watched the shadow of himself as he passed unevenly placed gaslights. His brow furrowed into a frown as he felt his pale lips getting chapped from the low temperature. His skin looked more of a pale yellow under the lights' glow, rather than the usual milky white, and he was almost certain that anyone would easily spot him if they were following him, or even Nellie could be behind him -

He suddenly stopped as he reached the next spot of shadow, jolting his body around like he expected to find someone behind him. Yet there was nothing, only the slight gust of wind and the part of road in darkness. He closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He let out a visible breath. Paranoia was something that was getting worse within him, especially since he and his wife had been almost discovered as murderers that summer. _'It isn't just that though, is it?'_ he thought to himself as he turned and started to go on his way again. _'You're lying to your family. You promised no more violence. You're afraid that they will find out. You are scared of their reaction. Of your daughter's reaction -'_

Sweeney swallowed, upping his pace as he darted away from the lit pathway and then went left down a narrow alleyway. His thoughts were shoved to the back of his mind for the moment as his mind tried to decipher the shapes in the darkness that was in front of him. The brick walls seemed to squish into his shoulders as he neared a thick iron door, where it was partially lit with a single flickering lamp. Shivering, he reached up a rough hand and slammed it into the door a couple of times, hoping for a response.

He let out another hot breath as he stood there, swallowing when he could hear the muffled sounds of shoes on the other side. The door opened, and a figure appeared, hand motioning for him to enter.

Silently, Sweeney obliged and entered the place, the figure locking the door securely behind him.

* * *

Nellie huffed, dusting her hands together as she went in the back of the shop to check on her little girl. It had been a long time since Sweeney had come back in to give her another order, so she had decided that it would soon be closing time. Usually he would come in and let her know once outside had died down, and they would both shut up shop together.

" 'Ello there darlin'," she whispered, making her way over to a drowsy Rue in the day crib. "We'll be goin' 'ome soon, doncha worry! Long as y'dad ain't bein' so stubborn 'bout this so called club, 'o course, what a silly man 'e is!" She lifted her daughter up, one hand under her little bum as support, her little arms linked around her mother's neck. The little girl was surprisingly silent as she gazed half-asleep into her mother's eyes, melting her mother's heart by doing such a thing. Nellie could see so much of her husband in her, but so much of herself too. So much so, that she still couldn't believe how real her little one was, she was just too perfect. Chocolate eyes stared into chocolate eyes as she lifted her daughter up a little bit higher so they were face to face. Rue took a hand away from her mum to rub her eye tiredly, tiny bare feet wriggling freely as she let out a high pitched yawn. Her mum let out a chuckle.

"I know little one," she whispered with a smile. "I'm feelin' like that an' all. 'Ow 'bout we go an' surprise da-da, ay?" The little redhead cooed positively in reply, her mum nuzzling her nose which caused her to giggle.

Before they left the room, Nellie found her shoes and coat to put on, she noticed it had gotten chilly outside and the child would be sure to feel it. After dressing her, Nellie slung on her own jacket too and picked her daughter back up from the crib where she had been placed for the time being. The baby redhead rested her head on Nellie's shoulder as she sucked her thumb, eyes drooping tiredly. On her way through the kitchen, her mother blew out all the candles she had lit, leaving the mess to clean up tomorrow, seeing as there would only be more the next day anyway.

She sighed, feeling the warmth she and her daughter were generating between them quite pleasant as she backed into the doors to the customer area. She opened her mouth with a smile, ready to surprise her waiting husband.

Yet her heart dropped once she saw the place was completely empty, not a customer in sight.

Not a Sweeney in sight either.

Her heart began to pound, at first with panicked anger.

 _'I shoulda known,'_ she told herself firmly, holding onto her child tightly. _'As soon as 'e was bein' all mysterious, I shoulda known. 'E was goin' whether I were in favour of 'im goin' or not. 'E's always been a selfish man, I should be used this sort 'o thing by now. If 'e's not killin' it's always somethin' else. Probably another... woman. I don't blame 'im, not after what I put 'im through with my grief. Not that_ I'd _put up with 'is grief for_ years _more, mind you.'_

Then her heart began to drop in sadness, disappointed tears welling up her eyes, the only thing holding the streams back in their ducts was the warm child wrapped around her, little sniffling snores soothing her. She would make sure the little one was not selfish like her father, or anything bad for that matter. She hoped to god their girl would get the best parts of them both, and have no evil about her.

Nellie kissed the top of Rue's pale forehead, then nuzzled her nose in the eerily similar hair to her, closing her eyes to calm her worry and disappointment.

"Let's go 'ome, ay?" she breathed shakily, slowly wandering about the dining area, snuffing out any burning candles. "I'm sure y'dad won't be waitin' up."

After putting Rue to rest at home, Nellie had heated up some soup she had made the day prior, heading to the parlour. Her usual cheery expression had disappeared, instead she wore a vacant emotion, one reminiscent of her recent grief. She was sick of playing games, and certainly sick of her husband doing as he pleased. She sat on the patchwork couch in front of the burning fire, stretching out her limbs over the soft cushions too. She shovelled some soup onto her spoon, not even bothering to blow on it before sticking it into her mouth. The stinging pain was a welcome one, reminding her that she was indeed still alive, and able to feel.

Not once did Nellie think she would feel like this having had a family with Sweeney Todd. But then again, none of her dreams had gone to plan so far, or at least not how she would have imagined them to happen. She had wanted everything to go perfectly, and as far away from evil with the least problems as possible, mostly for their daughter.

Staring into the flames as she took another gulp, her seemingly lifeless eyes seemed to flicker and crackle just as the fireplace did. She wanted him to come back home. She had no idea what he was doing, no idea who he was with.

 _She had no idea if he would ever come back._

She winced and squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the soup bowl and spoon out of her hands like a toddler throwing a tantrum. The liquid seeped into the rug on the floor, the bowl thudding as it hit the edge of the stone fireplace. She took in a breathy sob and leaped to her feet, heading out of the parlour and rushing upstairs, slamming the bedroom door behind her, not that the source of her frustration was even there to hear it.

* * *

It was the early hours when Sweeney once again was walking through the darkness, only this time, he felt like his paranoia had disappeared. His body was warm, and full of energy even after a full day's work. His black orbs glistened on high alert, anticipating any danger coming his way. It wasn't long until he reached the familiar sickly row of gas lamps lighting his way up to his house. He let out a harsh gasp as his tender arm brushed against the side of one of them, winding him for a second before he carried on towards his home. He soon reached the familiar gravel driveway, and he tread on his tiptoes to ensure he didn't disturb the ladies sleeping inside.

He'd made it to the porch, where he took his arms away from his hugging position to cautiously see if the door was open. Nellie had left it open for him, and he stepped inside.

The front door carefully closed behind, and he turned, eyes alert as he caught the dance of light coming from the parlour. He crept to the doorway in order to spy through the hinge, noticing the fire was still crackling away with no sign of Nellie. _'Probably left it lit 'cause it's so bloody cold,'_ he thought, a touch of a grateful smile on his lips. _'She'll never know 'ow good she is.'_

He sighed and went back to the front door, locking it with the key Nellie had left for him on the end of the banister. With fatigued legs, he went upstairs, his weak arm slouching into the wall on his right. He eventually got to the landing, to which he let out an exasperated huff. The first thing he did was sneak to Rue's bedroom, peeking through the hinge just as he had downstairs so he didn't intrude. He smiled and his emotion softened as soon as he saw Rue and curled up and snoring away, "There's my girl." Seeing that his little daughter was safe, he headed towards the bathroom. It was in pitch darkness as he entered, but he managed to fumble around and find some matches to light a candle to give the room a golden glow. He got down on his aching knees, delicately removing a wooden square from a floorboard next to the sink. It revealed a dark hole, but there was a familiar glisten of silver that shone from inside, to which Sweeney smiled. He removed something from his pocket and placed it inside with his valuables, stroking his infamous razors' case before carefully putting the board back over the hole. He gradually stood back up, arching back cracking as he did so.

He pulled off his waistcoat and stock, looking at his fairly bloodied face in the mirror. _'Didn't realise I looked_ that _bad...'_ he thought to himself, reaching a hand up to wipe his cut lip. He ran the tap, cupping water over his face. Strangely, the blood seemed to wash off easily. He winced as the water got into his cut, and he stared into the mirror. He wondered what he was doing as his reflection stared back at him, his pale skin covered in small scrapes and bruises. He gritted his teeth and looked down into the sink, running a callous hand through his black hair, not caring about whether his hair was completely messed up.

He closed his eyes to compose himself and then straightened his back, looking into the mirror once more before removing more clothes until he was clad in his undershorts. Leaving the pile of his clothes in the bathroom, he wandered through to his bedroom door, once again looking through the hinge to suss out if he was welcome or not.

Nellie seemed fast asleep, she was curled up in the covers, red locks in tangled mess across the pillow next to her. He smiled, until she started to sniff.

A guilty expression swept its way across his features as he silently pushed himself through the door, approaching the bed. He cautiously set himself down next to her, sneaking under the covers. Her sniffling continued, and he swallowed, closing his eyes when he pressed his warm chest to her clammy spine, draping an arm over her.

 _"I love you Nell,"_ he breathed out, nose nestling in her hair, so that he felt like he was completely surrounded by her scent. He didn't care that she couldn't hear him, he just felt less guilty by saying it. He lowered his head to brush his lips over the back of her neck, to then follow up with a lingering kiss. He then settled back, succumbing to sleep, just like the woman next to him.

Except she wasn't asleep at all. She was wide awake, feeling a mixture of strange emotions. She didn't know how to feel - she felt angry and disappointed, yet confused and warm... so, so...

... _warm._

She could still feel the roughness of his lips on the back of her neck, even though they had gone. They had been unusually callous, from the cold outside perhaps. The way he had whispered his love for her repeated again and again in her ears, which made her heart sink and her hands claw at her sheets. How could he say that, after straight out leaving her when she said not to? Leaving to do something she had no idea about? But how could he say it so sensually, and sincerely, without meaning it all?

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Sweeney's other arm slowly snaked around her naked middle underneath the covers, it was a soft action for him, then again he hadn't had the courage to do such a thing for a while. Nellie sniffed again, feeling herself being pulled back into him so her head rested below his collarbone, his warm breath on her forehead.

Surprisingly, this relaxed her, and eased her into a slumber. Despite the fact he was the source of her problems, he had managed to calm her at that moment in time.

And their problems became a thing of tomorrow.


	6. Frowns McBooHoo

**Simply Starve This Sin**

 **Chapter 6: Frowns McBooHoo**

The next morning, Nellie was the first to wake up. She was amazed she'd been able to sleep so soundly with all the worry she'd been feeling the night before. She cracked open her eyes, white light flooding into them as thin rays of sun poked through their bedroom curtains. The room was still warm from the fire being alight all night downstairs, the pleasant temperature calmed her slightly. She looked down to the covers over her body, like she could see through them, straight at Sweeney's arms coiled around her. She could feel his chest rising and falling against the smooth skin of her back, causing her spine to give out a shiver. She squeezed her eyes shut, still unsure of how to feel.

She blindly shuffled to her other side, turning to face him.

She could feel his hot breath on her face now she was nearer, and that's all it took to get her to open her eyes. She stared at him with hooded orbs, only just able to subdue a shocked gasp when she saw his face littered with tiny scrapes and cuts, all of them appeared to be angry. Strands of jet hair fell from their usual place to messily hang to the sides of his face. Some bruising had started to come out on one side of his neck too. Her eyes, now fully open, held a sad emotion as she looked over him. Not fully registering what she was doing, she'd lifted a soothing hand to his clammy face, gently stroking over his fresh scars. She winced as she did this, as if she had the wounds herself. He mumbled incoherently when she lingered her fingertips over the tender bridge of his nose, shuffling slightly.

Inside Nellie felt as if she were sinking. What had caused him to be so... broken? _"It's just a club..."_ she recalled him saying, her brown eyes filling with tearful anguish. She wasn't stupid, if he'd gone home like that then clearly there was something _violent_ about wherever he'd been the night before. What was it even a club _for?_ Fighting? Drinking? Or ... something much more sinister? If so, why would Sweeney agree to be part of such a thing? After all, he'd promised her they were to be cleaner than clean now their child needed looking after.

So many more thoughts sifted through her mind at that moment as she was exploring his bruised neck with her hand, so many in fact that she'd failed to realise her actions had caused her husband to wake up. He smirked internally at her touch, his breathing pattern and closed eyes kidding her that he was still sleeping. He would stay quiet for a bit. He was curious to see what she was up to.

Nellie let out an exasperated sigh as she snuggled down a little, just enough so her chin perched onto Sweeney's muscular shoulder. He could feel her eyelashes tickling his neck's ashen skin when she leaned forward, nuzzling him. He gritted his teeth due to the bruised area being feeble, but to his wife, he appeared to have no reaction. She continued to ease his neck, but now had begun to brush her lips over him instead, which caused the entire right side of his body to break out in contagious goosebumps. He still did not give her any indication that he was fully awake and aware of what she was doing...

He was stubborn like that.

She breathed out onto him, her lips so close to kissing his skin every time her mouth skimmed over him. This was the most intimate thing that had occurred since Violet's funeral, which meant that it was incredibly hard for Sweeney to not be aroused from these tiny actions from her, so he was finding controlling himself to be rather a troublesome task. Having said that, he was clearly determined to surprise her if he'd still managed to mask his pleasure up until that point. He laid still.

She pressed her lips gingerly over his neck, not wanting to cause him any discomfort. It wasn't long until she took her mouth away from him, much to Sweeney's disappointment. If she hadn't had her eyes closed she would have seen that glorious pout of defeat on his face. Alas, it seemed that he was still cruelly playing with her, seeing as she hadn't spotted his crack beginning to form.

 _"Love?"_ she whispered airily, nonchalantly moving her form forward so she could softly press her front onto his own bare torso. He clenched his teeth again, but this time it wasn't due to any pain. It's like she knew he was biding his time, like she was purposely tempting him to open his eyes.

He once again, gave her no notion of him being conscious.

When she got no response she gave out a huff, and leaned forward, closing any space between her and her husband, lips slowly but firmly kissing his jawline, which unbeknown-st to her, appeared to be a tough challenge for her husband to tackle. He allowed his left hand to claw into the mattress below, seeing as she was on his right there would be no way she'd notice.

Her kisses were getting higher, yet she kissed him everywhere but his mouth (something that Sweeney knew had started to feel exceptionally neglected), her fingers traced over his fresh cuts as she did so. He swallowed as he felt the tickle of her auburn curls on his cheek whilst she continued to leave sensual pecks over his visage. She took her hand away from him, but only so that she could lightly draft a line down his lonely chest with a single finger. He clenched his teeth again, and this time, Nellie had noticed, feeling his muscles tense as she kissed him. Knowing this, she began to caress his torso with both skillful hands.

She'd missed this. And she knew he had too.

She knew, because his top half arched towards her touch, his mouth slightly agape when he let out a deep breath. It was too much for Sweeney, he couldn't lie there motionless if she was going to do _that_ to him...

In a flicker of a second, he'd shot his eyes open, hands tightly holding either side of her waist as he pushed her into the space he had been in, pinning her to the bed.

Nellie gawped at him, the look of shock on her face priceless. It seemed she'd managed to take him from zero to ten in a record amount of time, she'd never seen him move so fast. He was silent as he loomed over her, shoulders and arms tense and outstretched either side of her. All worry of him hurting seemed to vanish from her mindset, instead now she was pleasurably... anxious?

Those dark, gloomy eyes of his were quickly filled with want, boring into her alert orbs. Staggered pants pushed through his slightly parted lips, at this Nellie felt her throat becoming dry from anticipation. She swallowed. Her eyes seemed to falter when he gradually began to lower himself over her, arms still holding him up with easiness. She heard her thudding heart in her ears, not to mention felt it when his abdomen brushed over hers. The burning flame inside her body suddenly lit, and instantly she felt the most alive she had felt for a good couple of years. In the back of her head, she was unsure of why this was happening on that day of all days, when in fact she was still angry at him for the night before, not to mention extremely concerned due to his -

He let out a breathy groan which interrupted her thoughts, finding he'd lowered himself as far as he could possibly go and sank down her body so that he was no longer staring into her eyes with that same look he used to wear when he could sense his next kill. She found herself tipping her head back to the pillow behind her, exposing her delectable throat to him, just like she used to do in the old days, probably out of habit due to his murderous glare more than anything. She squeezed her eyes shut, half expecting a cold razor to be placed against her skin, instead, it was something warm and hot. Lips attacked her neck in a lethargic lust, and all apprehension disappeared. She reacted to him now, breathing out hoarse moans as she practically writhed beneath him, not used to his touch since it had been so long. He moaned huskily through his onslaught, something that caused her to bite her lip and reach her hands down to snake around his waist.

As he continued, she let out whimpers of annoyance, clearly she wanted his lips elsewhere now. Hearing her brewing frustration, Sweeney smirked over her skin. _'Why does he have be so cruel...'_ she thought, his hands lying flat over her torso to firmly brush over her. He continued to evilly press a smile into her skin as he pushed himself over her, nose caressing the full length of her neck in order for his lips to be directly in front of hers. She could sense his close proximity even with her eyes closed. Those artful, scheming hands of his ran down her body again, only to make her audibly gasp. She didn't want to appear needy, despite the fact it was one of her obvious traits, so she attempted to resist him. And he certainly noticed.

He was already burning his black eyes into her closed ones, daring her to open them. He knew it was a game she was playing, just like the one he had been toying with just moments before. But since it had been so long for them both, he was rather confused at her actions at that moment. It didn't help that her bizarre behaviour only made him want her more. Their noses brushed over each others as he made sure he was even closer, like that was even possible. Her eyelids were becoming an obstacle for him, he craved seeing her glossy eyes lit up with excitement, he'd been too used to looking into vacant ones for a long time. He yearned to see her back to her usual self.

He took a hand away from her upper body to place it on the side of her face, tucking a single lock that had fallen over her silvery skin behind her ear beforehand. His lips hovered ridiculously near to hers, so much so that he was becoming evermore difficult to resist. She wriggled her legs, like she was becoming restless.

 _"My, my,"_ he breathed out onto her mouth, and she could just see him in her mind's eye with that snide smirk of his. "What's the reason for your _discomfort_ pet?" His sarcasm made her open her eyes immediately, instantly meeting with that sinister look he had. Sure enough, he was smirking at her, and it seemed to widen as she looked up at him with challenging maroon eyes. Even though his face was imperfect due to all of the slits and bruises on him, she found it strangely arousing to think that he was numb to whatever pain he was feeling, like she was the remedy to kill off the pain of his injuries for the time being.

Nellie stayed unbelievably silent, smiling back smugly in response. She didn't have to say anything, for he knew exactly what it was that made her act in such a manner with a furious flush over her cheeks.

He didn't spare any time, colliding his scorching mouth into hers, their eyes dropping like window shutters due to the pleasantly hostile action. Succumbing to her desire for him was the easiest thing she'd done that morning, enclosing her arms around his lower neck, wishing to pull him even nearer to her. That smirk of his soon returned even as they were kissing, and seemed to broaden when she moaned into his mouth as a reaction to his digits giving some firm attention to her bust. He deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue, to which she responded enthusiastically. It wasn't long until they were both moaning into one another, quiet sounds morphing into intense muffled ones. The sensations almost felt new since the couple hadn't attempted to do such a thing in a hell of a long time. Yet that spine-tingling familiarity of one another hadn't disappeared, it was the one thing that was clear to both of them. She took a hand away from his neck to clutch at his charcoal hair, tugging hard to cause him to let out a guttural groan, the vibrations seemed to pass from him through to the entirety of her body. Her being felt like it was on fire, her blood rushing furiously around her veins, pulsating against him. She was sure he would be feeling that same hyperactive rush that she was.

She could feel his muscles tense as he moved over her in a way that was almost superhuman, breaking away for a moment to pant for much needed air. It wasn't long before he was there again, the overpowering lust emanating from them so much that they both began to sweat from the heat. Her hands massaged into his scalp as his hands massaged something else of hers, one of those hands brushing downwards to lift each of her legs up to wrap around him, one by one. By doing this, they could feel a part of each other all over, sending electrifying sensations through them, inside and out.

As they greedily kissed each other, their bodies started to get more tense, as if they could sense what was about to occur. Sweeney broke away from Nellie again for a moment, forehead leaning on hers as his lungs pushed out breaths. _"Mmm..."_ he groaned, feeling like he was drinking in her simmering aura as her chest heaved against him.

As their mouths practically ate the others once more, their moans gaining volume, a high pitched shriek made the two of them pause over each other.

It was Rue, and it sounded like she was hungry.

Sweeney reluctantly took away his lips from Nellie, forehead on hers again as they both sighed in a disappointed frustration. "How _convenient,"_ he whispered, making her unable to suppress a giggle, her cheeks flushing red. His look of annoyance faded into subtle amusement he held in his gaze as he looked down at her. "I'd better go feed 'er," she said with a hint of sadness as she looked towards the door, breaking her silence after all this time.

In a flash he'd darted towards her right ear, mouth brushing against her as he breathed, " _I'm_ hungry too y'know." She chuckled at him, biting her lip. "I can perfectly _see_ that Mr T," she said rather loudly, irritating him now she wasn't whispering. He loved her voice when she was quieter, when her voice was only just above a breath of air.

"But you ain't the one cryin' are ya?" she added with a pout, arms dropping away from him. "Only on the inside my love," he said with an ironic grin. His look of fake happiness made her burst out laughing, and she hit him playfully. "Oh do let me up you silly man!" she exclaimed, shaking her head at him. He humphed and got off her, rolling onto the bed next to her.

She prised herself up, stretching her arms out as Rue's cries got louder. Finding a discarded burgundy nightdress somewhere near the bed, she rolled her eyes, "Alright darlin', I'm comin'." And with that pulled the nightwear over her head and padded out of the room to attend to her little girl.

Sweeney let out a huge sigh as he spread himself over the bed in a star shape, narrowed eyes focused on the ceiling as his daughter's cries finally ceased and she erupted into little giggles and coos. Although he loved his daughter she tended to get in the way of certain things, and what they were about to do before was one of them... he would have to wait even longer now, thanks to her. _"Good things come to those who wait."_ he remembered his wife would say in a situation like this. "Well I think a year an' a bit is slightly excessive Nell..." he whispered to himself, disappointment evident on his features.

He would've gotten up to help his wife, but for some reason he didn't. He wanted to wait for her to come back. He scratched at some of the fresh scars on his face, realising she'd probably seen them. Well all that sneaking around the night before had been rather pointless now he thought about it, there was evidence of what he'd been doing whether he could do anything about it or not. He was surprised she hadn't asked him about it yet - although, they were slightly _distracted_ on this particular morning. So it was understandable.

It wasn't long before Nellie returned, holding a little black box in between her hands. She sat on the bed next to him, on the edge of it to be more precise (seeing as he'd spread himself out so much). He didn't look towards her, he was still sulking with his mind elsewhere. She set the box down on her bare lap, undoing the silver catch to carefully flip the lid open. She took out an intricately designed glass bottle with murky looking liquid inside, along with an immaculately clean white cloth.

She bent down, placing the box on the floor for the time being before spinning around, kneeling on the bed to face her husband. "C'mere you," she teased, the little smile on her face drawing his attention away from the blank ceiling. He frowned at her with curiosity, sitting up against the pillows behind him. She advanced towards him, unscrewing the cap from the ornate looking bottle. "What's that?" he questioned, eyes narrowing at the strange blackness of the liquid. "Just ointment love, it'll 'elp y'wounds." she replied, pouring some of the evil stuff onto the pristine cloth. He was silent, expecting her to ask why he was worse for wear but she didn't, she just shuffled closer to him, still on her knees. She closed the cap back onto the bottle, tossing it aside on the bedcovers for the time being. She brushed her fingers across his face, wincing as she looked at his little scars. Sweeney had a calm look on his features, closing his eyes as her hand neared one of his cuts. "This might 'urt a little, but its gonna 'elp y'poor wounds," she whispered, stroking his forehead with her free hand. He lightly grunted in reply, but really he couldn't care if there was pain. He'd felt enough of it the night before, so there wasn't much change.

He looked somewhat peaceful and she smiled, pressing a kiss to his head. The touch of a smile greeted his lips, but it was quickly gone as soon as she lightly pressed the cloth against a cut on his chin. He frowned at the unpleasant contact and set his jaw, but was easily bearing the stinging sensation his wound was being subjected to. Nellie nuzzled her nose in his hair, trying to ease the pain with her actions. She moved the cloth to another angry slit, surprised when he pulled her forward to straddle him, her hand adding a bit more pressure as she moved.

"That's better," he muttered with a smirk, arms linked around her waist and thumbs stroking her there in a to-and-fro action. She moved the cloth again to another wound, in fact she would do this every now and then as a pleasant silence fell upon them both. "You were rather quick Nell," he spoke again, surprising her seeing as it was usually her who started a conversation. "to feed Rue, I mean." She smiled contentedly, admiring how well he was taking the stinging pain. "She weren't 'ungry, turns out she'd thrown Frowns McBooHoo out of 'er crib 'gain." she chuckled out, making him smile with amusement. Frowns McBooHoo was Rue's first and favourite toy - he was a fuzzy black bear with a grumpy face. Guess who picked that one out for her... "Why's that? Was 'e bein' a grumpy git again?" he replied, cracking open his eyes so that he could watch his wife's movements as she had to lean further forward to cleanse the scratches on his temples. Her face came inches away from his as she did this, that bubbling lust that they had before returning slightly. "S'pose it's a love-hate relationship. She loves that bloody bear to pieces and then the next minute she's throwin' 'im left, right and centre!" she exclaimed cheerfully, giggling. She could empathise with Rue actually.

She pushed forwards into him further, reaching for a scar on the left of his forehead. As she was doing this she failed to notice that the top of her breasts skimmed over his chest's skin. He audibly swallowed, being engulfed in her scent as she breathed out into his face. "How'd you get all these, ay?" she whispered solemnly, the excitement in her voice dead. "Y'look a fright you do." He grimaced, finding that the pressure she was putting on his wound was too much, so he batted her arm away from him. She wore a look of rejection, eyes seeming wide due to the horror of his reaction. "D-Did I do somethin' wrong?" she whispered hurriedly, eyes shimmering from the formation of tears.

Sweeney sighed, " 'Course not. Y'just pressed 'arder than I was expectin'. Carry on pet. You're bein' a great help." Nellie let out a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding, cautiously pressing the cloth to the same area as before. "You didn't answer me question." she said in a small voice. "It's just a club Nell, like I said." he replied in a reassuring tone. "I promise you it's more professional than you'd think." She frowned at him, wanting to look into his eyes to see if he was being sincere, but she couldn't. "In what way? Look at ya Sweens, all battered and bruised. What on Earth were you doin'?" she breathed out firmly, her brewing hostility making his heart speed up that little bit faster. "Brawling, is all." She took the soaked cloth away from him, gawping at him with an amused expression. "And what made you wanna do that? You'd straight out kill a man, I know what you're like!" she exclaimed, much to his surprise she seemed to find what he had been doing the night prior humorous. _"Nell?"_ he asked in apprehension, frowning as he opened his eyes to see her childishly snorting at him. "You're not _concerned?_ I've broken a promise to you, and our child, and that is somethin' that I can't ever forgive myself for." She shrugged, tossing the cloth up into the air behind her now that she'd finished with it, not caring where it landed. "I always knew you'd do _somethin'_ Mr T," she said huskily with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I know 'ow 'ard its been for ya, 'specially with 'ow I've been behavin' this past year. I don't care what you're doin', I just don't like seein' you 'urt like this. But unfortunately, s'pose you'll always be you, and violence is a need that's a part o' you now. I wouldn't want you to feel you couldn't have... _release,_ as it were." He smirked but his eyes held confusion, "You're not upset?"

"Far from it. I mean, it's not like you're killin' a man, is it?"

"Well... _no."_

"I mean sure, y'might go a bit too far, but who cares? You know 'ow far to push 'em, I'm sure. And who I am to complain if I get t'tend ya wounds like 'is, ay?"

He looked at her in disbelief, she was talking to him like she was that little niggling voice in his head that would often tell him to do bad things. It was a surprise that it was coming from her, considering they were meant to be whiter than white. He didn't question her reaction any longer, only enjoyed the feel of her front as she sunk lower so she could look him in the eyes. "Just don't kill anyone." she whispered, voice sincere. _"Please."_

His black eyes studied her with forthright warmth, "I won't. I assure you, that this is a promise I won't break."

She wrapped her arms around him in a cuddle, pulling him into her. She could tell he meant it, just from the way his arms looped around her firmly. She was finally happy to know where he had been the night before, although it may not have been the safest of places, it was far better than the cheating situations she'd been fearing. And it wasn't like the man couldn't handle himself.

"Thank you," he said in a small voice, right next to her ear. Clearly his thanks weren't just for understanding him, but also for her seeing to his open cuts. "No need, love." she replied gently, pulling away from the embrace to confidently press a kiss to his lips. His eyes closed at the contact, but she pulled away before anything he wished to do occurred. "Where are you going?" he questioned, obvious disappointment in his voice. She'd moved over the edge of the bed once more, headed for the door.

"Well we 'ave a business t'run if you ain't forgotten!" she proclaimed with that amusement and cheery spark she'd clearly found again. "Not exactly able to take days off when we're runnin' short 'o money, are we?"

"Oh _I_ don't know..." Sweeney proposed, almost suggestively as he sat up straight, covers folding over as he did so, revealing his top half to her unintentionally. "It wouldn't do any harm to miss a day. I _am_ rather fatigued."

She raised her brows at him as she turned from the door, hands on her hips (this only spurred him on more, he loved this particular mannerism she did), she was smiling but it was obvious she was holding in a laugh. "Oh, ' _eavens!_ Mr Sweeney Todd is _fatigued!_ Well who's bloody fault is that then?"

"Certainly not _mine,"_ he quipped, smirk reaching his eyes, and then his mouth. "I do think _you_ appear to be fairly fatigued too, pet. One day of rest isn't gonna 'urt, is it?"

She open and closed her mouth like a gold fish, unsure of what to say to him. On the one hand he was wrong, one day off was going to impact on their profit immensely. On the other, she was indeed aching from all the work she'd been doing. They hadn't even had days off on Sundays sometimes (much to the annoyance of the local church, who considered the business being open as disrespectful).

 _"C'mere,"_ he coaxed, with that rasping voice she couldn't resist, even more so now that it seemed lower for whatever reason.

Nellie obliged, heading back to him with a defeated gaze.

Sweeney pushed the covers off himself to reveal his nude form, making her blush furiously, even though his intention had been to meet her halfway across the bed. She opened her mouth, about to say something but his mouth cut her off, hungrily morphing around hers. She reacted immediately, hating how easily he could persuade her... whilst also loving it at the same time. He pulled away, the two of them panting hard.

Still worrying like the worrier Nellie was, she began to blurt out her thoughts now in gasps. "What 'bout the money?" she mumured, as though she was incoherent or somewhat intoxicated. "Y'know 'ow 'ard times are." He spun her away from him so her back faced him, in order to pull off her nightdress and kiss a trail up from the base of her spine to the top of her neck. She crumbled at this, arms reaching back to grip onto his body for support. His arms reached under hers, laying flat over her abdomen, where he kneaded for the time being. "I 'ave it covered, pet." he spoke, pushing his moist lips to the base of her neck. She trusted his words and gave in to his touch by leaning her head back, adoring the way he immediately tore away from her seeing as he could reach her lips again.

It wasn't long before things heated up again, and much to Sweeney's surprise she'd turned on him without breaking their kiss, pushing his chest so he fell back with her on top of him.

And that was when it came again.

They paused, not even moving a muscle or the mouths that were pressed to each other, both sets of eyes staring into one another with disappointment. They hated this, they knew that if they were to try again later on there would be something else to interrupt them, something else that would get in the way. So they both groaned out in frustration.

"I'll go, shall I?" Nellie whispered against his lips, her seductive tone still there much to Sweeney's delight.

"No, I'll go..." he replied just as quietly, also disappointed when her body and warmth left him. "But I s'pose we can continue this later..."

She smirked, her expression enticing, "No doubt about it."

And with that, Sweeney slowly made his way to his daughter.

How appropriate it was that Sweeney Todd was the one saving the grumpy Frowns McBooHoo in order to make his daughter happy.

He would have found it amusing too, if he hadn't been interrupted from his intimacy with Nellie...

 _...again._

* * *

 **A/N I'm aware how long this chapter is, and I'm so grateful that you made it to the bottom. There'll be more to come, I have so much planned. I'm not sure if all the next chapters will be this long, but we'll see. Which do you prefer? Long chapters or short chapters? Thanks for reading :) And thanks to those reviewing :)**


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